The one benefit of genAI: behind the scenes footage of real people making things will become abundant once again!

Funland rules. Comes from an alternate universe where videogames stayed weird and esoteric and counter-culture. Get yourself an issue.

Oh this is just awful. Rest in peace, mate. Thanks for everything. gameinformer.com/2025/12/22/v...

Imo you shouldn’t claim this for free, and instead wait to buy it full price and then also gift your friend a copy. Paradise Killer is GOTY forever!!

Guys with the brain disease called Enjoying Programming will see this and think hell yeah (Replicube)

What gamers are actually nostalgic for: "[I miss] who I was with and where we were playing as much as any game. So it's not that I want to erase the memory of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater so that I can play it again. I want to be back in my parents' basement playing games with childhood friends."

unfortunately

At long last, here are @mobilesyrup.com’s Top Games of 2025. I was especially happy to see so many inventive (and *deeply* personal) indies this year. Shoutout to all of the devs (both on and off this list) who gave us so many wonderful experiences!

This is incredibly painful for me. I have never asked for help like this before. But I have had people reach out to me asking if they can help, so I am sharing my story and finally asking for help. I've been lucky to have a lovely group of followers here, please share if you can, anything helps <3

Just refreshed my portfolio site for the new year! Consider me for consulting on your video game, editorial gigs, on-camera opportunities, and anything else you think would be a good fit. Would love to lock in some new projects for 2026. Email: [email protected]. gameonysus.com

This is a Christmas song if you want it to be www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBZm...

Next year we'll announce our new game 4 years in the making! While you're waiting, here's a first little preview of what's to come 🤜💥 Get ready for a story-driven action-adventure game in an open-environment, with non-stop drama and goofiness. 🎢 See you in 2026 with @arteinteractive.bsky.social !

The 2025 Indie Game Awards begin... right now!

Ambrosia Sky: Act One is now 20% off for a limited time! From 12/18-1/5, you can experience what @inverse.com called, “A promising start for a somber sci-fi tale.” for only $11.99 USD! (or $15.59 CAD 🍁) You *can* go home again (it just might be full of 🍄): store.steampowered.com/app/3580160/...

Hello, not only do we not use AI we would rather cut off our own arms than do so. Demonschool is 100% human made.

"they don't know how to express the idea" here's rian johnson's storyboard for knives out pick up a pencil and a napkin

I haven't had a chance to talk about it on the pod yet (been a busy year) but The Knightling is super charming! Shield surfing adventure gaming to the max. Big Gamecube energy. I especially liked the designs for townsfolk that reflected jobs or status and looked more interesting than A Person.

Why We're Boycotting Xbox: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybj1...

AV Club Games best of 2025 list dropped. You’ll never believe who wrote about Promise Mascot Agency again www.avclub.com/best-games-2...

Announcing the nominees for the 2025 Thinky Awards! 🎉

I never thought about it before, but is this maybe a part of why new multiplayer games are having a hard time on console? F2P games don't require a sub, but a full price multiplayer game also requires I spend $100 a year to play it? What sense does that make...

I’m planning a column about women and games next year. I want to discuss how stories about women are told/received in games, and how does womens’ criticism exist- where/what is it? If you are a woman game writer/dev/critic and would like to share your thoughts, dm or email [email protected] !

Introducing Weekend Games! If you're a dev working on something that you could 'complete' in a weekend, with a learning curve of some sort, and a gripping visual hook, we want to talk! Especially if you're self-funding development👀 publishing[at]thesecretsauce.uk

I say this as someone who loves video games so so so much, but I cannot think of a single game released in the last 5 years for any console that would make me go "yeah that's worth ~$500 USD + the cost of the game", and Fortnite runs fine on PS4 so 🤷

New video! My final upload of the year shines a spotlight on some of my favourite games I almost missed in 2025 - including Nubby’s Number Factory, Simogo Legacy Collection, Once Upon a Katamari, Sektori, and many more 👀 📼 youtu.be/EbmAcuxMM9A

Next Fest keeps kicking my ass

We've announced our next game! Check out the teaser on Steam! It's been a hard month getting things together for this, but I'm super excited to work on this, and I hope you all will be looking forward to it! store.steampowered.com/app/4228390/...

Jesse has consistently been a power house with a keen eye on production, do yourself a favour and hire this dude!

If you need some catharsis today, I talked to Bruce Straley about generative AI in gaming: "I don’t know who wants it, I don’t know who’s asking for it, I don’t know who’s pushing for it, but I don’t think it’s the way as a human species we need to be evolving.” www.polygon.com/bruce-strale...

Thinking about how mad Hans Zimmer got when directors kept giving him temp tracks and asking for it “exactly like that.” Having all these talented artists just to hand them 90% of what you think is finished work is straight up an insult. Concept art isn’t a step you fast-forward - it’s the BEDROCK!

Work with my boy Jesse NOW!

Jesse runs our podcast and produces loads of work for noclip_2. If we had the funds to hire him more we would so grab this guy if you need work. Video / audio / Canadian insight. He’s your lad.

I've got some time off coming up for the holidays and I'd love to fit some commissions in! My contract gig doesn't pay until the end of the month and I'm looking to clear another $1k or so in expenses by the end of the year 🙏

YO! I'm open to taking on some client work now and into the new year. If you need a guy who can do a bunch of stuff pretty well, I'm here for you! Podcast editing, video editing (incl. motion gfx), advertisements, game capture, etc. Examples & contact info @ jesseguarascia.com

I wrote a little comic for my brother and asked @ramonvillalobos.bsky.social to help make it real. Sharing it in case you get something out of it too.

Raise your hand if sleeping on a project and coming back to it later helped make it better 🙋🏻 Some things just take time.

Bet. First, I'm gonna cheat and get four games from Enigma Studio because I really want to get around to talking about them and i haven't yet. First, play The Enigma Machine. It's a short (~1-2 hour) horror game about managing an AI's dreams.

🚨DISCO EPISODE TWO IS UP❗ Getting to explore & document the original ZA/UM studio was a surprisingly eye opening experience. As was talking to so many of the original developer about those days. I really like this episode, I hope you do too. WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrVW...

Podcast listeners love to say shit like “we should burn this motherfucker in the streets” when, 7 hours into a 10 hour long podcast, the host accidentally calls the beloved SNES platforming action game “Super Mentroid”

Jeremy takes Frank on a journey to the world of ANGELINE ERA (@angelineera.bsky.social) - a mythical action RPG that tugs at our nostalgic 90s RPG heartstrings, but is brimming with countless bold new ideas of its own. youtu.be/ZRmz9BK3au4

forgive me father for I have blogged simulacrum.pika.page/posts/but-th...

new game release: Rainbows Are Carnivores is an experimental gay fishing romance / aquaculture management sim. Free, 10-20 min, play in mobile or desktop browser radiatoryang.itch.io/rainbows

And if you just NEEEED to be reminded of "the good old days of XBLA Summer of Arcade", Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is a lovely little romp that features artwork from David Hellman, the part of the Braid team that isn't a transphobe and hasn't said women don't have brains for STEM.

You know I was thinking that TankRAT game looked really neat, but I could've swore I saw it before. And I did!... on the Epic Game Store.

I never thought I’d get this wish. Odd seeing eulogies before I expire

They're really pulling out every Guy Who Has Some Recent Nasty Controversy for this year's TGAs damn

Orbitals (Switch 2), 2026

"THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT MONEY"

Will Arnett's doing commercials for dog food or something he's too busy to voice LEGO Batman at the Game Awards